Improvement in the seeding apparatus of seed-planters



UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

LEWIS MOORE, OF BART, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,4179, dated July 2,1850.

To all 'whom 'it 'may concern."

Be it known that I, LEWIS MooRE, ot' Bart, iu the county of Lancasterand State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inSeeding-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the nature, construction, and operationof the same, reference be ing had to the annexed drawings, making partof this specification.

Seed-planting machines are in common use where the feeding isaccomplished by the motion of a sliding gage pierced with openingscorresponding more or less to those in the grated or perforated floor ofthe hopper, over or against which it slides; but these are subject toserious objections, as not only is the seed let down in detachedparcels, but thgse parcels are of one uuvarying quantity, and, besidesthis, the contiguous parallel edges ofthe gage and of the grate-openingsclip and bruise many of the seeds between them as they pass each other.N ow, one characteristic of my invention is the attainment of a uniformand steady distribution of the seed by means of oblique slots in thesliding gage or feedingplate, in connection with slots in thegrateplates beneath the Hoor ot' the hopper, whose sides are eitherparallel with those of the hopper or of different Obliquity to those ofthe gage-apertures.

Another common defect in seed-planters exists in the absence of anyready control over the feed while the machine is in motion; and, iuorder to get rid of this defect, I cause the l motion of the gage to becommunicated by a rod terminating in a hook convenient to the hand ofthe operator, and by which, by being inserted by him into any one ofaset of holes at varying distances from the center or fulcrumpin of aVibratin g bar, any desired rate of feed can be attained 5 or byabstraeting the hook the feed can be temporarily suspended when themachine is passing over ground not intended to be sown or in turning themachine at the end of the furrow, and all this can bedone withoutarresting or altering the speed of the team. v

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a plan or top view of the machine,the hopper being removed in order to show the reciprocating'feeding-plate and the relative connection of its oblique slots with theparallel transverse openl ings in the gratingplates secured to thebottom ot' the hopper. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on thedotted line o o of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a lop view ofthe bearing plate orbox as detached from the hopper and a portion of the grating and ot' thereciprocating feedingplate. Fig. 4 represents the same objects inverted.Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through one of thefeeding-passages and a portion ofthe hopper.

The same letters on the above figures refer to like parts.

The frame or bed a, hopper Z), guiding-tubes c, chute d, adjustableteeth 0X, running-wheels f, pole g, Snc., need no particulardescription, not forming any part of my improvements.

The Hoor or bottom hand grate u of the hopper b are pierced with oblongapertures t', whose sides are either parallel with those ofthe hopper,or, if oblique, are at a different `Obliquity to the apertures in thegageplate j. The gageplatej is also pierced with oblong apertures 7c atan angle of about forty-[ive degrees with those of the grate, for theobjects hereinbef'ore explained. This plate is sustained and guided by arecessed plate or stirrnp, w, which, when the machine is at rest, formsthe bottoni of the opening or passage through which tbe seed descends. lis an arm united tirmly to the gageplate j and projecting backwardtherefrom. mis a rod pivoted or otherwise attached to the arm l, andterminating at the other end in a hook, which may be dropped into anyone ot' a series of holes, l 2 3 4 5'6, in a plate or bar, p, vibratingon a pin, q, secured to one of the cross-pieces of the trame, passingthrough the bar 1o near its mid-length. The other end ot' 7 the b arpcarries a pair of small studs or rollers, r, which embrace between themthe rim or verge of a curved disk or undulatory cam, s, attached to theaXle-tree c. :t is a board, provided a handle, y, and pins z to receivechains a', attached to the drill tubes or teeth e, made in theusualm'anner. By means of this handle the teeth can be allsimultaneously lowered into the ground or raised from it at pleasure,and when raised can be retained or suspended from action by the latchb', which is so placed as to catch the end of the .handle y, and bymeans of the chain z the teeth may be adjusted to produce any requireddepth of furrow.

Let us suppose the,.hopper supplied with a diagonally, so that theopening created by the conjunction of the grate and gage apertures iscontinually traversing and retraversing theentirelengthottheaperturescandi. Letthehook now be moved to a holenearer the fulerum of the vibrating rod p, and a less but equallycertain and effective movement of the apertures takes placefand thus theapparatus may be readily arranged to deposit any desired quantity ot'grain to the acre without any danger of clogging or inefficiency ofaction in any of the apertures.

By means of the chain a and pin 2 the teeth may be adjusted to any depthot' furrow and their action be suspended or renewed with great dispatchand ease by the handle y and its appendages, which are arranged andoperated in the usual manner ofthe rock-shaft, lever, and chains.

Having thus described my improvements in the seeding-machine, I wish itto beunderstood that I do not claim a reciprocating gage-plate havingparallel or round openings correspond- ,to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The employment of a reciprocating sliding gage-plate when said plateis provided withv oblique feed-openings, in combination with openings inthe grating-plates of different obliquity'and bottom of the hopper, forincreasing or diminishing the quantity of seed to be sown while thelmachine is in motion by adjusting the end of the connecting-rod m nearerto or farther from the t'ulcrum of the vibrating harp, and thusincreasing or diminishing the traverse or sliding movement of thegageplatej.

2. 'l`hecombination ot' the hooked connecting-rod m, arm l, vibratingplate p, provided with a series of holes arranged in the arc ot' acircle scribed from the pivoted end of the rod m, and undulatory cam s,with the reciprocating gage-plate j, by which the reciprocatory movementot' the sliding gage-plate is regulated for the purpose of increasing ordiminishing the feed or sowing of the seed.'

In testimony whereof1 I have hereunto signed my name before twosubscribing witnesses.

LEWIS MOORE.

Witnesses:

LUND WASHINGTON, WM. P. ELLIOT.

